Every attendee receives a 2-4-1 card to see PRIDE, in cinemas October 30. A rousing British crowd-pleaser in the spirit of Billy Elliot and The Full Monty, starring Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton, Pride is a funny, affecting and truly inspiring film about two seemingly opposite communities who unite to form an extraordinary bond.

The Trans Hotel

Venue Sponsor

The Transcontinental Hotel is an iconic Brisbane Landmark. Recent times have marked the beginning of a new era for the venue whereby refurbishments have taken place in order to ensure long term venue viability. Today, the Trans Hotel boasts a vast array of unique venue spaces accompanied by distinctive furniture pieces and clever styling choices. The Transcontinental Hotel endeavours to become a venue that resonates with all who come to experience its fine grandeurs as a venue that delivers beyond what is expected through all sensory channels.

The Trans Hotel specifically caters for weddings, corporate events, social functions, small gatherings and parties with capacity for 380 guests cocktail-style and 150 for a sit-down dinner. The entire venue can be booked for 1,000 guest’s cocktail-style. If you are looking for an event venue that is set to deliver a memorable impression for all guests then this is the venue for you.

Andzen

DPMA

Ride Free

John Devaney

Executive Manager Marketing Communications, RACQ

Having developed and implemented Marketing and brand strategy for a diverse range of high profile brands, John Devaney has a wide and valuable perspective on customer marketing, and taps into the strengths from a number of sectors.

Meeting the needs of customers and business within travel, retail, finance, and apparel amongst others has meant a focus on the one true constant - start with the customer as the source of truth, and understand their consistencies and contextual quirks as they move from market to market, and situation to situation. Having worked in Marketing, sales and product development, the holistic perspective is complete - the plan always considers building what’s needed, marketing with understanding for the target, and selling a solution that works.

Currently with Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ), the steering of a 109 year old iconic brand that has become part of the Queensland landscape means a respect for the past with a focus on the future.

A keen advocate of data driven action and technology enabled service, John strives to graft new thinking into a core understanding of customer motivation, not replacing old for new in marketing strategy, but adding the best news ideas to the best experiences to date.

Sharon Wood

Marketing Manager, Open Minds

Sharon Wood has a diverse background in private and not-for profit organisations where she has utilised her eclectic experiences in sales, account management, retail operations, marketing, event planning, public relations and fundraising to help organisations shine and reach their goals.

Sharon is currently the Marketing Manager for Open Minds, a community managed organisation which provides supports to people living with mental illness, disability or acquired brain injury. She is responsible for the implementation of Queensland Mental Health Week, successfully launching the new MIND-CLICKS campaign.

Sharon helps create and build on strong relationships to develop genuine connections between supporters and sponsors and customers resulting in shared value for all involved. She does this by identifying and developing new relationships in the corporate community, and building on existing sponsorship agreements.

As a passionate person, her personal objective is to make the world a better place through growing organisations that help the underserved and to gain notoriety for great products, services and individuals.

Julie Byth

General Manager & Sponsorship Specialist, P4 Group

Julie Byth has more than 18 years’ experience in sponsorship and public relations, with particular expertise in not-for-profit, tourism, events and entertainment. She has lent her skill in building profile to companies including Tourism Queensland, Warner Bros. Movie World, 2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane, Brisbane Festival and Queensland Rail.

Her considerable experience in sponsorship planning has been applied to clients including the Australian Paralympic Committee, Heart Foundation, Triathlon Australia, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival, Tourism Queensland, Toowoomba Regional Council and South Bank Corporation.

Julie possesses a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) from Queensland University of Technology.

Panel Chair: Cat Matson

Chief Digital Officer, City of Brisbane

Cat Matson is Brisbane's Chief Digital Officer, overseeing the citywide Digital Brisbane strategy. Under the strategy, Cat is responsible for driving economic growth through digital adoption in the SME sector, strengthening the city's digital start-up ecosystem and facilitating Cyber City initiatives. Recently named as a rising female in the technology sector by the Sydney Morning Herald, Cat is considered an industry leader when it comes to the digital space, with a savvy business mind and a robust understanding of the wider business context.